Bishop John Shelby Spong has devoted his life to championing an authentic Christianity based on love, not hatred. In his bestselling book Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Spong convincingly demonstrated the limits of traditional faith and the toll its outmoded beliefs take on human life. Now the controversial champion of a more open and progressive Christianity courageously presents his inspiring alternative of what true faith should be today, offering a unified vision of authentic Christian belief for the third millennium.
What does God look like beyond theism? How do we understand evil? Who is Christ when traditional concepts such as incarnation, atonement, and the Trinity no longer communicate any meaning? In answering these questions, Bishop Spong goes beyond abstract theology to present his vision of a radically new humanity rooted in God, yet matured beyond the need for a supernatural parental deity.
A New Christianity for a New World offers an understanding of Christianity that is free of exclusivity and shame. Bishop Spong empowers those who are disillusioned by religion to discover a God who is the source of life and the source of love, unbounded by the limits of any tradition. The Church of tomorrow, lie writes, must be able to "incorporate all of our reality. It must be able to allow God and Satan to come together in each of us . . . . It must unite Christ with Antichrist, Jesus with Judas, male with female, heterosexual with homosexual."
After explaining why the traditional understandings of God, Christ, and the rules and dogmas of the Church are not just inoperative but dangerous, Spong offers his contemporary vision of the Church as a community of love, equality, and truth. This work is the ultimate legacy of his struggle to discover and promote a faith system that can live in our new world. Only someone who has spent a lifetime crusading for change and the rights of outcasts in the Church could give voice to such a reasoned, just, and loving faith. With Bishop Spong we can take the brave step to discover the Christianity of tomorrow.

A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith Is Dying and How a New Faith Is Being Born

History

John Shelby Spong

Historical Study & Educational Resources

HarperSanFrancisco

By popular demand--study guides to two of Bishop John Shelby Spong's bestselling and controversial works, including questions, reflections, and summaries for group and individual use.

Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

HarperOne

A New Creed for a New Millennium, from an Outspoken Advocate for a Christianity that is true to Jesus.
 Building on his bestselling books Resucing the Bible from Fundamentalism and Living in Sin?, Bishop Spong explores the future of ethics, prayer, and Christianity itself. His manifesto is both the summation of his life's work and a guide for every reader searching for a reasoned, just, and loving faith.

Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks To Believers In Exile A New Reformation of the Church's Faith & Practice

HarperSan Francisco

An important and respected voice for liberal American Christianity for the past twenty years, Bishop John Shelby Spong integrates his often controversial stands on the Bible, Jesus, theism, and morality into an intelligible creed that speaks to today's thinking Christian. In this compelling and heartfelt book, he sounds a rousing call for a Christianity based on critical thought rather than blind faith, on love rather than judgment, and that focuses on life more than religion.

Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile

World

Resurrection: Myth Or Reality?

Harpercollins

Liberating The Gospels

HarperCollins, Publishers

This Hebrew Lord

Harper&Row

A new creed for a new millennium, from an outspoken advocate for a Christianity that is true to Jesus.

Why Christianity Must Change or Die

We are excited to announce this newly released book of essays by Bishop John Shelby Spong on Luke's account of the birth of Jesus. While Luke's narrative, the most detailed account of the birth of Jesus, is lyrical and inspiring, in The Birth of Jesus, Spong persuasively demonstrates it is allegory. Layer by layer, Spong weighs every element of the New Testament stories against Old Testament legends building a convincing case. Spong's 16 original essays step backward and forward through the scriptures demonstrating why each element was chosen by the early CE writers to establish Jesus' lineage and divinity. It is a fascinating and persuasive journey and a remarkable illustration of Biblical scholarship. Bishop Spong's "Birth of Jesus" essay series* from his weekly newsletter- "A New Christianity for a New World," has generated more comments from our readers than any other series he has written. As one subscriber wrote, "It all starts with the birth story-get that wrong and we probably get it all wrong." No one does a better job of getting it right than Spong. And there is always the added bonus with Bishop Spong. He is the consummate teacher. He writes with the primary intention for readers, regardless of their training or background, to get it. Bishop Spong is a writer for every reader- from the scholar to the lay person. He is clear, concise, inspiring, and vibrant. He is a master at interpretation and elucidation. The Birth of Jesus is an exciting adventure that challenges dominant assumptions and interpretations and is sure to stimulate and liberate readers.

The Birth of Jesus

Education & Teaching

Schools & Teaching

ProgressiveChristianity.org

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Books by John Shelby Spong